Support Policies

Welcome to the official Support Policies page. This page basically outlines all the official support means and any related requirements that go along with any kind of support.

All of these Support Policies apply to any iThemes brand support: iThemes themes, PluginBuddy, and/or WebDesign.

Throughout this page AND on any and every other page, section or area of the iThemes, PluginBuddy and WebDesign websites, the general term "iThemes" represents all 3 brands and all involved products and offerings.

Official Support Method - FORUMS

iThemes Forum (including the WebDesign.com forum for WebDesign users) is the official (and only) support method. The iThemes forums are full of knowledge, wealth and information shared in thousands of topics in dozens of different specific sections catering to any and all products you may have from iThemes.

Existing Customer Support

Forums are the only official support method provided by iThemes. All iThemes products come with full official forum support.

5 : You'll get a reply usually within 24 business hours. Please wait at least 24 full business hours before BUMPING (replying again to bring your post to the top) your original post.

6 : Always include FTP/cPanel/iThemes-Membership/WP-Admin login info AND links to each (including the exact forum post link that you're referring to) when asked to do so, by an iThemes employee on the forums, via email OR pm. If you miss any of the required information, we will have to reply to you on the forums to resend us the email OR the pm with ALL the required info. Please include ALL info in ONE SINGLE message.

7 : If you're asked to email or pm us, please do so only once.

8 : Create only ONE NEW topic per issue.

9 : Start your own topic unless you know your issue is 100% the same as someone else's topic.

10: Please post in the CORRECT category. If you are NOT sure where to post OR cannot find the appropriate category where you can post, post in any of the most relevant category you can see AND also mention in your post that you're not sure where to post. We'll take care of it from there!

12 : Any free plugins are provided as is and no support is offered nor guaranteed in any manner. Check out our Free Plugins Policies.

12 : Email a staff member ONLY when asked specifically. Otherwise, we may reply to you and tell you to please post on the forums, OR we may not be able to reply at all.

13 : PM (private message) a staff member on the forums ONLY when asked specifically. Otherwise, just like email, we may reply to you and tell you to please post on the forums OR we may not be able to reply at all.

iThemes Codex

The iThemes Codex is our version of a comprehensive and detailed FAQ (frequently asked questions) and tips that can help you with our products and general WordPress and website questions. In fact, this very page you are reading right now is in the Codex: you are basically reading the Support Policies section of the iThemes Codex.

Anytime you hear the word "Codex" anywhere related to iThemes, it is basically referring to this entire iThemes Codex.

The Codex is updated almost daily, and contains a wealth of information to help you get started. The iThemes Codex even contains MANY code examples and snippets which are NOT covered by official iThemes support policies on this page. All of such code examples and tips are provided voluntarily by each staff who added them, just for your benefit.

Other NON-FORUM UNOFFICIAL Support Methods

Email Support

iThemes does not provide any form of Email support. Unless you are asked specifically to email us with something like login information (for security reasons), you must always post any questions or replies you have regarding any support question on the forums.

Even if you email us regarding some info after we ask you to email us, please post all further replies on the forums and NOT email any such further responses to us. Any emails or email replies, other than for something which we ask specifically, will be answered with the default information that you should post your support email or reply on the forums. We work fully on the forums helping you, and thus are focusing fully on keeping the forums as the central and ONLY place for support.

When asked SPECIFICALLY, please email support directly with all the required information. Otherwise, any email sent to support staff for support will be replied to with the default message to post the issue on the forums instead.

Please do NOT send all the required and requested info in separate emails. Combine them all into one and send one email only. If any automated email is involved, like automated username and password, find out the info in it first WITHOUT sending us the automated email, and include all the info from it in your single email with all the other info.

Always include the following in ONE SINGLE email OR pm as specified by the support staff on the forums:

1: WP login URL

2: WP ADMIN login username AND password

3: Cpanel login URL

4: Cpanel login username AND password

5: iThemes Membership username AND password

6: FTP url/address

7: FTP username and password with full access to the required directories

8: FULL info on which directories contain your WP files, which folders/files to work on, OR not touch, etc.

9: Make the subject of the email relevant please. Many staff members get hundreds of different kinds of emails a day, and thus subject lines are IMPORTANT. Starting with "REQUESTED INFO: " and then putting in your issue summary is a good start.

10: In the body of your email, number or organize all the above info in any manner you wish please, BUT please do organize it. It will help us save time and get to your issue faster.

11: You can post on the forums letting the staff member, who asked you to email them, know that you emailed them.

12: Please wait at least 24 business hours after you send the email for an actual reply to that email, on the forums. After 24 hours, go ahead and post a message on the forum thread you were originally on to check on the status update of your issue.

13: Please do NOT send follow-up emails - do all follow-ups on the forums after 24 hours.

REMEMBER: Since support is NOT provided via email, and the above kind of emails are only used to exchange info on a one time basis, unless otherwise specified by the staff member who requested you to email them, all further replies and communication will happen on the forums instead of email replies.

Phone Support

No phone support of any kind is provided at the moment. Sorry, we cannot call you regarding any support nor can we receive any calls regarding any support.

Live Chat

No live chat support is provided for existing customers. Live Chat on all iThemes pages (the Panda icon on top of all pages) is available only to Pre-Sales customers (existing OR new) who may have quick pre-sales questions. Product support for existing customers is not offered through the chat.

Instant Messaging

No support via any form of instant messaging is provided at this moment.

Offline Support

No offline support of any kind is currently provided.

Social Network

No support via any Social Network (twitter, facebook, myspace, Google+, etc is currently provided.

Online Support ELSEWHERE

All support questions must be asked on the official iThemes forums. Sorry, we cannot provide support on other external blogs, forums or sites (and are also usually not allowed to do so, by those blog/forum/site owners).

Personal Staff Accounts

Please do not contact any iThemes staff, regarding any support issues or questions, on or via ANY staff's personal online account like their Twitter, Facebook, blog, site, etc, or even their personal email address, instant messaging account, or anything else. No support is provided via any staff's personal account anywhere online.